Recalled to Life
by BBAKaizer21
Summary: A father returns, bringing with him unseen terrors, and clearing the fog shrouding the past.
1. Prologue

Time for one of my tediously-written fanfics! We're reading _A Tale of Two Cities_ in English class and the title of the first chapter stuck with me until inspiration hit. Just as in the book, I've tried to make it so that you won't be sure what the chapter titles mean until you've read the chapter. I've also tried to include a quote that relates, somehow, to the chapter.

Summary: Kai's father appears, but is he really all he wants the team to believe he is? Or is he part of a project planned from Kai's birth? How do Tala, Wolborg, and Dranzer fit into this?

Disclaimer: Take a glance at the word 'fanfiction' and look for the clues as to whether I own _Beyblade_ and _Tale of Two Cities_ or not. I'll even give you a hint or two: 'fan' is somewhere in there, as is 'fiction'.

'_Thoughts'_, "Speech"/ time change and end/beginning of chapter.

**Recalled To Life**

"'Recalled to life.' That's a Blazing strange message. Much of that wouldn't do for you, Jerry! I say, Jerry! You'd be in a Blazing bad way, if recalling to life was to come into fashion, Jerry!" (_Tale of Two Cities_, C. Dickens)

Prologue

_We've won_. Kai was only faintly aware of the stunned thought floating across his mind as the real meaning of the words sunk in. He instantly turned his eyes towards his old team, the Demolition Boys. Each one of the Bladers had a defeated look to their otherwise expressionless faces. Tala's eyes were dulled with defeat and the glassy glaze of fear of the future coated the icy orbs with an unnatural shine. Bryan was glaring death at Tyson, but seemed resolved to face Boris' undying wrath with a face of radiating hatred. Spencer was looking at the Bladebreakers with longing, hiding his apprehension of what would happen to them once they entered the Abbey's darkness once more. Ian was the only one of the team who showed outward fear: his eyes were wide and he wiped sweat from his eyes as Kai watched, shifting nervously from one foot to the other, often glancing up at Spencer as though to reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming of their loss.

The signs were discreet, and to outward appearances, their pride was simply stinging from the team's beating. Yet Kai knew them all, having seen them in others, faceless and screaming, only too often in twisted memories of darkened corridors and flashes of warped, bloody red.

"Kai!" The Blader turned his stare away from the fearful group of four to see Tyson standing beside him.

"We won, Kai! We beat the Russian team!" Tyson's grin was almost too much for Kai to bear; the thought of what the Demolition Boys would go through compared to his own team's happiness made him feel sick. He allowed himself a small smile, however, at the idea that his team was the best in the world. It had been a thought that had hounded him all his life, nagging and worrying his mind into endless circles of strategies and tactics that would win him a place of power. How well he remembered those sleepless nights of training; the nights where he stared outside, past the hollow flies curled in on themselves in death that lay on the windowsill, as his thoughts lost themselves in the grey blanket of pouring rain!

"Kai? He returned to the present in time to see Tyson's face express worry just as Max bounced over with a war cry of, "GROUP HUG!" Kai found himself being hugged on all sides. Though the panic of others being too close to him rose in the back of his throat, he bit the inside of his cheek and managed to let his smile widen a bit.

Even the strangely approving glint in Voltaire's steel orbs didn't attract his attention.

They had won, after all.


	2. Chapter 1: Lost Years

Summary + Disclaimer: See Prologue

_Notes_:

'---' means scene change

Thank you to all who reviewed! I am eternally grateful for your comments, and hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!

Chapter 1: Lost Years

""I have by no means forgotten it, and a light answer does not help me forget it."" (_Tale of Two Cities_, C. Dickens)

Kai shifted his stance, putting equal weight on each foot, scanning the dish through narrowed eyes. His entire body was rearing to go: his legs were tensed, his breath baited, his arms even shaking slightly from what was to come. He heard Kenny's voice from the side of the dish, Dizzie ready to record his moves.

"Three…" Kai took another breath.

"Two…" He envisioned his BitBeast emerging from the blade in all her blazing glory. With Kenny's adjustments, he was sure she would be more powerful than ever.

"One…" The entire world stood still as Kai prepared to launch his blade.

"_Kai_!" The only sign that the Russian was surprised was the slight twitching of fingers on the smooth surface of the launcher.

"Kai!" Tyson called again, as though Kai hadn't heard him. Winning no reaction, the blue-haired boy continued talking.

"Some guy on the phone wants to meet us at a restaurant!" The rumble of Tyson's stomach sounded loud in the breeze as Kai slowly stood upright, arms at his side, launcher still in hand. He looked on as Tyson drag Kenny back to the house Mr. Dickenson had been kind enough to let them use before walking inside.

Instantly, Tyson was in his face, demanding that they get moving before he starved. Kai refrained from voicing the insult on the tip of his tongue, but silently went upstairs to store his blade and launcher in the drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. He did not want to be separated from his BitBeast again.

"C'mon, Kai! We're going to be late!" Tyson yelled up the darkened corridor, only to see his red-eyed leader calmly leaning against the wall in his usual fashion. An exasperated sigh, a mini-war of insults, and fifteen minutes of walking later, the team arrived at the arranged meeting place.

The five of them were shown to their reserved table in the corner of a smaller back room, used only for private parties, and sat down. A waiter came in to take their drink orders and left shortly.

"Sorry I'm late, Bladebreakers, but I hit traffic." All heads turned to see a man enter the room, a small grin plastered to his face. He took off his dark jacket, which was taken by the waiter, who had just reappeared with their drinks, and muttered something to him. They stood and shook hands with the newcomer. His hands were calloused and his grip was firm. Everyone sat back down. There was a silence in the air before it was broken by Tyson.

"So," He said between slurps of his soda. "Why did you want to meet us, Mr. H.?" The man grinned again, eyes wrinkling at the edges.

"Well, you've got quite the reputation where I come from, and I wished to see if you were as good as people say you are." His grey orbs seemed to flash in Kai's direction as he spoke.

"Where _do_ you come from, Mr. H.?" Kenny asked, Dizzie on his knees.

"Call me Andrei, Kenny. 'Mr. H.' is too formal."

"How did you know my name?" Andrei shook his head as if it wasn't important.

"Your names and faces have been broadcasted all over the world, remember." The waiter placed a faintly steaming mug beside him, which he accepted with a brief smile. He took a sip and set it down again.

"I have digressed, so I will try to get back to my topic." Andrei was interrupted by the arrival of about half a dozen waiters, each carrying a tray almost overflowing with food.

"But before we do any more talking, we will eat; I have kept you waiting too long already." Tyson was already drooling, and Max, who had been surprisingly quiet, eyed a large sundae hungrily. Soon, the room was filled with the sound of clinking silverware, Tyson's loud munching, and the occasional remark about the size of his mouth compared to his brain from Kai. After a while, even Tyson had slowed down enough that they could talk.

"So where do you come from, Andrei?" Ray asked, getting back to Kenny's question as he nibbled on the piece of pink salmon on his plate. Andrei paused in his chewing, and swallowed before answering.

"Russia.", was the simple reply.

Kai's ears pricked at the mention of his homeland. He could feel his fingers trembling from the most recent memories concerning the icy place. He pretended to be disinterested, but kept his senses and mind trained on Andrei, as though the man would tell them a great secret.

"One of you teammates is also from Russia, correct?" Kai felt Andrei's eyes on him, and returned the gaze with a glare. Andrei, however, only laughed. Kai forced himself not to growl; he _loathed_ people laughing at him.

"Oh, Kai, you are much too serious for your young age." A shadow passed over the man's face, and his expression became somber. "You have changed greatly, Kai, since I last saw you." His nose crinkled slightly. "You used to be so small, that, long ago, I could have held you in one hand without fear of dropping you. Of course, that was only once…" Andrei's voice trailed off. He shook his head and seemed surprised to see the intent attention he was receiving from all the Bladebreakers. As the waiters came in to take their soiled plates, Kai rose and left without a word.

"Kai-" Andrei began, half out of his seat.

"Andrei, it's better to leave him. You won't be able to find him anyway. When Kai doesn't want to be found, he isn't." Ray's logic made Andrei sink back into his seat with a defeated sigh.

"Did you know Kai when he was a kid?" Max asked. Andrei nodded.

"Of course I did." His tone suggested he was indignant at the innocent question. "How can any father not remember his son as an infant?"

Silence filled the room for a moment before the questions burst from the Bladebreakers' mouths, all of which had dropped open in amazement.

"_You're_ Kai's dad? How come he's never talked about you? _You're_ Kai's dad? What was Kai like as a baby? _You're_ Kai's dad? Why didn't you come to any of our tournaments? _You're_-"

"Yes, Tyson, I'm Kai's father." Andrei said before Tyson could repeat his question a fourth time.

"But you guys don't _look_ like each other!" Tyson protested. Andrei smiled tiredly.

"I'll admit, we don't seem related in looks alone," He held up his hand as Tyson opened his mouth. "But Kai gets a lot of his features from his mother and grandfather." He ran a hand through his mop of dark grey hair with a grin.

"So why hasn't Kai said anything about you before?" Ray asked again, leaning back in his chair. Andrei's eyes lit with clouded confusion.

"You mean, he hasn't…He never…" The Bladers shook their heads.

"Not a word." Andrei didn't seem to hear them, however. He sat staring at the empty chair where his son had sat.

"Why the…why did he…?" He muttered angrily, just loud enough for the team to hear. "He knew I was sent away, didn't he? Unless…"

"Why?" Andrei started, as though he had forgotten the others were in the room.

"What? Did you say something?" His eyes scanned their faces.

"Why were you sent away?" This came from Kenny, who looked eager for Andrei to answer the question. The man stood abruptly, his chair screeching on the floor.

"I have to see Kai. Now."

"But we don't know where he is." Ray remembered, getting to his feet as well, the action soon mimicked by Tyson, Max and Kenny.

"I bet the old sourpuss is back at the house." Tyson remarked, sending a longing glance in the direction of the dessert menu a waiter had placed at the end of the table sometime during their talk.

"He's probably training." Andrei turned his head to look at Kenny as they walked outside. "I upgraded Dranzer, though we left before I could compare the blade's progress."

"Dranzer? He still has her?"

"Yes, but the blade's performance has been unusually poor." Andrei fell back to walk beside Kenny.

"What do you mean 'poor'?"

"Well, not 'poor' exactly. I mean, Kai still manages to beat us whenever we battle each other, though Dranzer's defense and speed has gone down each time I've recorded stats. But Dranzer's attack is incredible! I can't get too close or Dizzie's circuits start acting up!"

---

Kai growled in annoyance as he caught Dranzer in his hand with a deft, practiced motion. _Still not good enough_, he thought. His blade was spinning slower each time he trained. Worse still, there nothing, no reason at all that he could find, which caused the sudden decrease. He launched his blade and watched as it spun in the center of the dish.

Dranzer emerged, answering his silent call, flames outlining her wings as she hung in the air, waves of heat scorching the neighboring grass browner, making Kai's eyes water. He blinked rapidly, clearing the wetness away. The blade flew to his hand once more, and he was surprised to find it warming his hand. His senses alerted him to the arrival of someone behind him. He tensed involuntarily.

"Kai."

"Andrei." Kai returned in a cold voice, back still turned to the man.

"You don't sound so glad to see me all these years, son."

"You're not may father." Kai snarled, feeling the blade heat in his palm, the phoenix BitBeast sensing his anger and growing restless.

"Did Voltaire not tell you-" Kai cut him off before he could continue.

"My father is dead. He died before I was born."

"_What_? How can that be when I stand here, as solid, as real as yourself?" Kai didn't trust himself to answer without emotion. After his last encounter with Voltaire, Kai had later hacked into Bio-Volt's records and read that his father had died two years before his birth. The news hadn't stung him as it would have other people. Once, when he had been younger and unaware of the Abbey's consuming darkness, he had questioned Voltaire about his father. That was the day he had learned to ask no questions, for he had been struck harshly across the face and made train for an extra hour under Boris' surveillance. Kai had drawn the conclusion his only other living relative was dead. The idea that his father had never seen his son was only a cold fact, a statement of Kai's true aloneness in the world.

"Kai, I realize that you may have been misinformed, but there is no reason to tell lies. You know I am your father. Voltaire-"

"I don't take lies lightly, Andrei."

"Kai, I'm not lying! What can I do to make you believe me?" Andrei's voice showed he was desperate.

"Tell me, then, why my _grandfather,_" Kai spat the word as though it was poisonous to his tongue. "was the one to raise me instead of you, if you are my father, as you claim to be?" Andrei appeared stunned by the hatred in Kai's voice, but quickly recovered himself.

"Your grandfather sent me to another country, Kai." The vague answer didn't satisfy Kai's hunger for reasoning.

"Why?" He demanded.

"He thought it best, and as his _son_," Andrei stressed the word. "I respected his wishes. He sent me reports on how you were doing, sending pictures even. I have proof, Kai, if you don't believe me!" Andrei fumbled inside his jacket and produced a thin bundle of slightly yellow papers tied together with string. Kai finally turned around and took the papers without looking at them, eyes trained on Andrei. The paper was rough on his fingers.

"Please, Kai, believe me."

Kai ignored the man as he strode inside the house to the isolation of his room. He made sure the door was locked. ­­

---

Kai double checked the bolt before sitting on his bed to untie the bundle. He selected a paper from the heap, the date scribbled on the back in chillingly familiar handwriting, and read it.

"_Andrei, _

_Kai is well. Boris is still overseeing the boy's progress, and the improvement is notable enough, though not what I expected. It seems he requires a more extensive training program than we thought. _

_The Beast's history is essential for the advancement of the Project. Send me the files as soon as you find anything significant. Our scientists have yet to break the Code, but are closer to a breakthrough than ever before. _

_Do not disappoint me, Andrei. If you do, your life will not be the only one lost, as you know. _

_The requested photo is enclosed. _

_Voltaire_"

Kai looked at for picture mentioned, quickly matching the date on the letter to the one on the back of the photograph. Wide, innocent eyes stared back at him, bright and red. Kai guessed he had been around seven when the picture was taken. He hadn't changed much: his stormy bangs were still wild and messy, navy hair still smooth and short, even the scarf he wore was in place in the picture.

He quickly read through the other papers. All turned out to be letters reporting on his training and each mentioning the 'Project', though Kai didn't know what that could be; from what he read, it concerned Dranzer and scientists. He shuddered, picturing exactly what Bio-Volt could do to his BitBeast. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

A knock came from his door.

"Kai?" The handle twisted, then returned to its original position.

"Kai, I want to talk to you. Open the door." Kai didn't respond.

"Please? Son?" Kai flinched. "I know you're in there, Kai." Kai heard Andrei sigh heavily.

"Fine, be stubborn, but I'm not leaving until we talk." There was a thump from outside. Andrei, from the sound of it, had sat down. Kai could see the light coming in through the crack under the door suddenly divided by a wide shadow into two small strips.

_It's going to be a long wait if you expect me to come out_, Kai smirked. He glanced out the window, at the vibrant, color-shocked leaves of fall, and his smirk widened.


	3. Chapter 2: Fine Line

Summary + Disclaimer: See Prologue

I am sincerely thankful to those who reviewed, and apologize for the major delay in updating. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 2: Fine Line

""To the eye it is fair enough, here; but seen in its integrity, under the sky, and by the daylight, it is a crumbling tower of waste, mismanagement…oppression…and suffering."" (_Tale of Two Cities_, C. Dickens)

---

Kai stared up at the endless sea of bright stars unblinkingly, as though holding a staring contest with the sparkling dots. Andrei had yet to leave the outside of his door, but Kai wasn't exceptionally worried about him entering; the lock could only be undone by a lock-picker or the key Kai had in his pocket.

His mind a jumble of whispering courses of action, Kai lost himself in the vastness of the night sky. At times, it seemed as though he could almost reach out and touch the stars, could almost catch them in his hand like children caught fireflies. But, much like his memories, the stars were far away, so unreachable that Kai sometimes imagined they mocked his inability to capture them. He looked away from the sky, eyes burning slightly, and easily hid surprise at seeing Andrei's stormy head poking out from his room's open window.

Within moments, Andrei had settled beside him on the rough shingles of the roof. Kai didn't wonder exactly how the other Russian had gained entrance to his room; Mr. Dickenson always left a spare key _somewhere_, and somehow, Kai could never find it. Apparently, Andrei had a knack at finding things that were meant to be hidden.

Kai closed his eyes, blocking the other from view.

"You've inherited your mother's love of the sky, I see." Once more, Kai ignored Andrei with a dogged resolve.

"This little act of yours has gone far enough, Kai. Drop it." Kai sensed the anger beneath the calm exterior and resisted moving away. Anger lead to pain, and although he could almost numb his limbs at will, if he moved, he would give away that he was uneasy. To give any small sign of discomfort, any motion linked with defeat, was weak and therefore, unacceptable; Kai had had it beaten into him that he had to unpredictable at all times. The lesson had served him well: it had kept him safe for parts of his life. Andrei ran a hand through his hair, one of his habits.

"You've read the letters and seen the photographs, so why won't you accept that I am who I say I am: your-"

"Father." Kai opened his eyes and glanced over to see Andrei grinning broadly. _Too bad I don't feel the same elatedness_, he thought almost mockingly. Instead, a weight settled on his barrier-enclosed heart, like someone had added another load to his already burdened shoulders.

"Why?" He asked again, staring up at the sky, focusing on the half-moon.

"Kai?" Andrei obviously didn't understand the question that was burning Kai's mouth.

"Why did you leave me," The fine hairs on Kai's arms rose, though it wasn't from the breeze that had gently picked up. "with _him_?" Understanding dawned on Andrei's face, and steel eyes saddened.

"I don't really know, Kai." Kai instantly knew he was lying and his tentative acceptance of the man evaporated, leaving only his cold façade of indifference. "I know that sounds silly, a father not knowing why he left his own son, but we had our reasons."

"The Project?" Andrei quickly recovered himself, and denied it. Kai let the subject go; he had heard all he needed.

---

Over the next few days, as the moon ripened, Kai often found himself on his back, arms behind his head, gazing at the night sky as though seeking the stars' silent advice. He preformed this calming ritual for hours at a time almost every day, only returning to his dark room, with its cold bed and impersonal décor, when he was too tired to think of anything but sleep. The roof was the one place where he could be more or less alone; the others knew where he was, but knew better than to disturb him unless it was important enough for him to care. The one person stupid enough to venture out and sit with him was Andrei, but Kai thought this was due to the man's desire to become the best father in the world and to 'make up for lost time', as he put it. Despite his best efforts, Kai was unwillingly dragged, half by his father, half by his team, to movies, parks, arcades, amusement complexes, and just about every place a father and son would normally go to spend time together.

Kai hated these forced outings almost as much as he hated Voltaire and Boris. He wasn't a normal sixteen-almost-seventeen year-old, and Andrei knew it; the overenthusiastic denial of this fact, which practically radiated from grey eyes, was sickening. Kai knew he had lost himself a long time ago to the darkness that surrounded his entire being. There were places in his memory where that very same black hopelessness ruled supreme, mental images of his past blurry and broken, mixed with half-imagined fragments of other people's lives, meager scraps of normalcy he had witnessed in moments not battling for his freedom, straining to escape the Abbey's clutches.

In response to his father's energetic manner, Kai spent as much of his free time as possible sitting on his bed, the door bolted, pouring over the letters, reading them repeatedly to engrain the words forever in his brain. He took particularly careful notice of the photos, noticing how he slowly changed as the years went on. With each picture, taken on the regular basis of once a month, his eyes became a deeper, bloodier crimson as his innocence was stripped from him. The number of blue fins on his face also changed, growing in number each year after he turned seven, Kai noted, until they had become his customary four, a new fin added on his birthday. What frustrated him the most was that he had no memory of any pictures being taken during his childhood.

After an hour of waiting, the full moon rose. Slowly, delicately, as though floating on clouds of sun-lit dreams of children, bright and ivory, the moon took her customary place in the sky. Round and smooth, like a fruit ready to be plucked from a tree's branch, she gazed back at red eyes, her tainted grey surface a ghostly reflection, radiant against vermillion.

Kai shook his head slightly in an effort to relieve the familiarly painful pressure of his usual oncoming headache, usually gained from dealing with Tyson. Today, however, it had come from an hour of being in the same room as the younger boy playing video games against Andrei. Kai had only stayed because he knew that if he left, Andrei would follow; he had hoped that Tyson would distract the other Russian long enough for him to slip away unnoticed. Unfortunately, that never happened, so he had forced himself to endure the younger Blader's moaning at defeat and occasionally yelping happily at the odd victory.

Putting the memory aside, Kai recalled his thoughts to the present. Dranzer spun a few feet away from him, the blade wobbling slightly, emitting sparks here and there because of the excess power the BitBeast had acquired from unknown sources. Dranzer was obedient to his silent call for emergence, and was quickly beside him, crooning gently. Kai had told no-one but his BitBeast of his distrust of Andrei since their talk a few days ago; Dranzer had been the one constant in his life apart from Blading. Resting her fiery on his shoulder, Blader and BitBeast were still, drinking in the calmness of their solitude.

When Kai was finally tired enough to go inside, the moon was resting low on the horizon, shrouded in the semi-translucent pollution of the nearby city, ready to allow her warmer brother to take her place in the sky.

---

Kai was not alone in his sleeplessness; Andrei stayed awake all night, restless and edgy. Every thirteen minutes, like clockwork, he would grab his cell phone and check his messages, desperately hoping his father's voice would not sound in his ear. Then, he would sigh and fall back onto his bed in a despairing manner, sometimes pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his eyes, mind racing to find a way to evade the task Voltaire had thrust upon him. He did not want to follow the orders; nevertheless, he had no choice but to obey. Andrei was a coward at heart; if given a choice between the life of another and his own, he would choose his own, even if the other life was that of a dear friend.

However, he found a war already brewing within himself, a battle between his cowardice, his fear and anxiety, and the emotions concerning his son. Though outnumbered and weak from remaining dormant for so long, Andrei's sentiments still burned defiantly, like the small flame of a match against the blackness, striving to drive all uncertainty from thought. Yet like a giant vulture above a pathetic creature on death's doorstep, habits of self-protection circled. Ever-present doubt pricked holes in any reason Andrei could conjure for following the allure of his heart's urges, dispersing the rosy mist with painful sharpness. Finally, Andrei made his choice.

"The Project will continue." He said to himself firmly, hands becoming fists, displaying his resolve. At that moment, Andrei could almost feel all compassion suddenly imprisoned by misery, and tortured into nothingness. His burdened

In the morning, Andrei made a great show of being affectionate towards Kai, guilt fueling false cheerfulness. Tyson and Max were fooled at once; Ray was not so easily hoodwinked, and kept his distance the entire day, offering smiles as false as Andrei's. Kai was also uneasy at the constant grins, remembering an opponent he had defeated in the Abbey who smiled the entire course of the battle to replace any emotions that would betray what he was thinking. Andrei cooked that evening, even cleaning up after himself.

Kai was only too happy to escape to the roof that night, eager to hide from the cares of the world, to cast his troubled thoughts aside and drift aimlessly amongst the endless stars. Drowsy and oddly content, his fingers curled around his BeyBlade. A searing heat made him flinch in surprise, but he found it difficult to release his Blade. His body became increasingly sluggish to respond, eventually refusing his commands to move altogether. Something brushed against him, light enough the he almost didn't feel it. It was enough to make Kai's body move, and to his horror, he began to roll off the roof. The shingles scraped his skin, then, blessed relief occurred upon reaching the edge. One of his arms caught on the gutter, held for a moment, and the sharp edges sliced into him; blood sprayed from the wide gash created. The pain felt distant, though sharp enough to make Kai wince.

With one final look at the sky, he braced himself for impact with the earth. The crash into the thorn bushes gained him more cuts and scratches, and when his head hit the ground, cold and hard from the deepening cold, with a sharp _crack_, he gratefully slipped into oblivion.


	4. Chapter 3: Together

Summary + Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Thank you for reviewing. Visit my profile if you need reasons for all the delays.

Chapter 3: Together

""…if you were shown a flock of birds, unable to fly, and were set upon them to strip them of their feathers for your own advantage, you would set upon the birds of the richest and gayest."" (_Tale of Two Cities_, C. Dickens)

---

The feeling of a great pressure seeking to make his lungs collapse awoke Ray in the early hours of sunrise. Made anxious by this unrelenting force, he found it difficult to tempt himself to sleep again. A crash, muffled by the walls of the house, reached his feline-sharp ears; his curiosity peaked in an instant, Ray knew he had no choice but to investigate. Driger in hand, all senses searching for a threat, muscles at the ready for action, he made his way outside, slipping a winter coat on over his pajamas. Still cautious, amber eyes spotted the sticky crimson sweeping over the frozen earth, seeping into the roots of a thorn bush by the side of the house. The wind bore the black-haired Blader a gift from rose-tinted skies: a single burgundy feather, its stem wet with blood. Feather gently held between his fingers, Ray peered around the thorns.

The breeze blew mournfully, dissatisfied its gift have been dropped as if in disgust, not accepted with praises sung high as it had hoped. Determined to find a being worthy of its attentions, the feather found itself swept away in a gust of air bristling with annoyance.

Ray knelt on one knee, ignoring how his pant leg quickly became soaked. He reached out, hand trembling, feeling the heat of the still, silent body scorching his palm.

There was a shattered beauty to the creature, stretched upon the frozen ground in a graceless, broken pose, its great, feathered wings tangled in the thorns, bleeding awkwardly. The trio of pink-designed tails, the downy feathers tattered and beaten, fluttered lifelessly in the chilling breeze like the abandoned ribbon of a birthday present, the whisper of feather upon feather creating an eerie atmosphere that raised the small hairs of Ray's neck. The eyes of the animal, half-lidded and glazed, stared at Ray as through they were watching him, alienating him with their shimmer of death. Its arms were muscled, three-pronged hands curled into fists, ivory claws stained a rosy pink. Three shafts of golden lightning erupted from the grey-furred head of the distorted thing, the grey darkening to a mane of navy. The remains of cloth, blue and black, clung to the blood-bathed feathers that furred the thing; a thin strand of white caught Ray's hawk-feather eyes. Ray recognized the white, and finally realized what mesmerized him so.

It was Kai. Only, not entirely; the creature before Ray was a mixture of Kai and Dranzer, an odd combination of human and phoenix. Ray blinked slowly, trying to make his heart stop pounding. He noticed the ruby of Kai's-, Dranzer's-, _their_ head armor glowing, and shut his eyes to block out the flash of light that followed, feeling a wave of heat just hot enough to be uncomfortable wash over him.

When Ray dared open his eyes, it was Kai who lay before him in a broken pose, no trace of Dranzer anywhere apart from the ruby still set into his forehead. Kai's eyes snapped open, bright with the panic of waking up in unfamiliar territory, the last memories of falling making his fear even greater. Without thinking, Ray moved forwards to try to calm his teammate.

He was greeted by Kai's fist, thrown backwards from the force behind the blow. Rubbing his swelling cheek, he stared at Kai; he had always known Kai was strong, but not _that_ strong. Kai stood, swaying, for a moment, before his legs gave out under him, and he crashed to the ground. Ray, in spite of his self-preservation nagging him to stay out of the radius of Kai's arms, rushed to help. This time, Kai did not lash out, but accepted the fact that he was too weak to do anything more than let Ray do what he wanted.

It was a long walk back inside, made longer by the low temperature and cutting wind. Despite the cold, Kai was hot against Ray's side as the black-haired Blader dragged the Russian towards the house. Once within the protective walls of the house, Ray set about getting Kai comfortable, lying him down on the couch and throwing a blanket around his shoulders despite the raging fever.

Kai resting as comfortably as he could, Ray quickly woke everyone in the house. Andrei wore a concerned expression on his face, but when Kai turned his back to his father, he stepped away, head hanging low. Tyson and Max were ordered outside when they began getting too loud, Kenny being sent with them to keep them out of trouble. Soon, Ray and Andrei were the only ones inside; even knowing Andrei was nearby, Ray felt very alone, as Andrei had disappeared inside his room after Kai fell asleep.

---

OMG, it's been so long since I updated. I'm really, _**really**_ sorry, but I've been so busy with school and homework, that I've had little contact with anime of any sort. Inspiration seemed to die a while ago, but after watching a few BeyBlade AMV's, I think it's safe to expect another chapter sometime in the next month or so: I usually write BeyBlade stuff around Christmas, for some odd reason. Anyway, please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I know it's short, and probably written differently than past chapters, but I haven't worked on this in ages, so I guess that's to be expected. Again, please let me know what you think, and if you have any comments or suggestions, I'll be more than happy to hear from you. Thanks for being so understanding.


	5. Chapter 4: Time's Up

Summary + Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Chapter 4: Time's Up

""How long…does it take to make and store lightning? Tell me…It does not take long for an earthquake to swallow a town. Eh well! Tell me how long it takes to prepare the earthquake?...A long time, I suppose…But when it is ready, it takes place, and grinds to pieces everything before it. In the meantime, it is always preparing tough it is not seen or heard. That is your consolation. Keep it." (_Tale of Two Cities_, C. Dickens)

---

Ray thought it best to keep quiet about what he had witnessed, convincing himself that it had just been his mind playing tricks on him. Blood had been spattered all over the ground and Kai, too, had been flecked with crimson, so worry and fear had probably warped the image into one of Kai with wings, choosing that picture over the one of Kai looking like he was dead. _Perfectly reasonable_, Ray thought, but couldn't help feel worried.

To the relief of his team, the stubborn Russian managed to recover in only a few days, despite how far he had fallen, not to mention his less-than comfortable landing place. Kai had his hands full regaining authority over Tyson, who had claimed the role of team leader for himself. On top of his still-healing injuries, Kai also had to deal with the disappearance of Andrei, though it didn't bother him as much as it did the others.

Life went on as normal once Tyson realized that Kai wasn't going to die anytime soon if the Russian had any say in it. Dranzer's power had dropped dramatically, as had every other state the BitBeast possessed, Kenny noticed. Tyson had jumped on this fact and began challenging Kai to a battle every five seconds, give or take a few. Kai refused to acknowledge Tyson's existence, and took to training on his own at all hours of the day, intent on getting Dranzer back into top form.

Nothing worked.

No amount of training, no adjustments to the attack or defense rings, _nothing_ – nada, zip, zilch. Any results, if there were any at the end of a training session, were so low, they were practically worthless; any miniscule rise in power was immediately gone by the end of an hour.

The notion that Dranzer was weak, that he could be beaten by anyone should he accept their challenge, drove Kai –**crazy**–. Dranzer had been so strong the night before he had been **forced** (he could not and _would_ _**not**_ admit that he had fallen – he had been trained from birth to maintain perfect balance and never let himself forget his surroundings, so falling was _not_ even considered an option) off the roof, that Kai knew something was wrong. Something had happened, something Kai couldn't remember, that had made Dranzer weak. Dranzer had to be powerful, and no matter what he did, the blade did not get stronger. Kai began to suspect his BitBeast was refusing to work, but all attempts to call the phoenix out of her Bey-Bit proved unsuccessful.

A few days after his 'roof incident', as Kai privately called it, he was in the middle of a training session when a sharp pain made him hesitate. Placing a hand over his chest, where the pain had been, he pushed on with training. The pain returned, and like a lightning bolt, vanished seconds later. This went on until Kai was forced to stop training; his hands were shaking too much from the pain that ran through his body. As soon as his blade was in his hand, the pain vanished, replaced with a sense of completeness. This was too weird for Kai, and he returned to the rented house to pop a few headache pills and try to sleep.

---

Unfortunately for Kai, a tournament loomed on the horizon, just a few months away. That meant months of training with the others, months of training with a blade that couldn't stand up to a kitten, months to worry about how weak he had become.

But, on the plus side, Andrei was leaving in less than a day.

With this bit of happy news circling his thoughts, Kai tried to make himself train. But the pain from the day before had decided to stay, and continued to stab him the more Kai trained. Finally, head hanging low at his admitting defeat, Kai deftly caught his obediently blade. Like yesterday, the pain immediately stopped, replaced again with the strange feeling of being whole, something that Kai had rarely experienced.

When Kai came back from his unsuccessful training session, he slipped into his room, grateful that Andrei was gone for what he hoped was forever.

He did _**not**_ need his father around to remind him of how long ago he had lost himself; anytime he saw his teammates happy, Kai was struck by how odd they acted, and then remembered that, to the rest of the world, it was _he_ who was the odd one out. He sometimes saw himself through the eyes of others; he was a loner, someone who rejected all attempts of friendship and preferred to keep to himself, that was strange enough. He also refused to show emotions that didn't stem from anger and aggression, he spoke rarely, was constantly training, and never seemed happy.

But Kai was, in rare moments, happy; when he won a tough battle he had worked hard to win, or when he saw Dranzer rise, in all her flaming glory, to faithfully his call, he felt…like smiling, as in, _wanting_ to smile, not smirk.

Now, more often than not, he also felt this way when looking at his team, at how far they had come since they were the rookies he had looked down upon.

Tyson was almost mature when, but forget about talking seriously if there wasn't a battle to be had; Tyson was still the loud-mouthed goofball that ate enough for a large country at every meal. But Kai had to give the kid some credit; Tyson had actually come up with a few good strategies over the years.

Max had not changed a lot, and neither had the Chief. Ray, on the other hand…Well, Ray had won Kai's respect when he had called upon Driger when battling Tyson for the first time, but had kept Kai impressed with his strategies and power as the team made its way to tournaments all over the world.

Pushing aside thoughts of his team, Kai sat down on his bed, intending to lay down and mull over possible ideas for increasing Dranzer's power, when he saw It on his pillow. While It was just a plain white envelope, nothing special or unusual, Kai sensed that It held something very important. He picked It up cautiously, and held It in his hands for a moment. Finally, he opened It, and began reading what he recognized as Andrei's writing.

---

When Kai had finished reading, he was trembling. Not with rage or sadness, or any other emotion. If his hands shook, it was because he was still in shock.

_There's no way, this is insane, it isn't possible!_ Kai thought, shaking his head slowly. The longer he stared at Andrei's letter, the closer he got to panicking. Finally, he tore his eyes away from the slip of paper, and turned to the blade he still had in his hand, noticing how pale Dranzer's image was on the Bey-Piece.

"Like she isn't really there." Kai managed to murmur for his ears alone. "But-, that's-…_it's just not possible_…"

Despite the new information that plagued him, Kai managed to keep his rising panic from showing for a few days before he cracked.

"C'mon, Kai! Dranzer isn't this weak, is it?" Tyson, being clueless Tyson as usual, failed to see the glare Kai shot him as anything more than the red-eyed Blader's normal glare. That was until the area where Kai stood somehow burst into flames, but, strangely, no appearance of Dranzer.

That night, Kai couldn't sleep; there was a restlessness about him that made any hopes of slumber mere figments of his imagination. Decided he might as well do something productive while he waited this bought of insomnia out, as always, Kai went back to the charred Beydish, and tried to figure out what had happened. There wasn't a lot to work with, just a bunch of blackened ground and scorched foliage nearby. The metal of the dish near his feet had warped under the heat, and the cement around it had deep cracks in it. Try as he might, Kai couldn't get the notion that maybe the things Andrei said in his letter might actually be a reality.

How else do you explain unprovoked, unexpected combustion with no possible source?

Kai stood up, holding Dranzer in his hand, studying the blade intently. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough, he could restore the balance Andrei described. But nothing happened; if anything, Dranzer's image faded a little more.

"Kai, what're you doing up?" Kai didn't need to turn around to see who it was.

"Nothing, Ray, just trying to find out what occurred today." He heard Ray come closer.

"I have no idea how what took place could have happened, Kai, except maybe that Dranzer had a power surge or something." Kai closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No, Ray, that wasn't it. The Chief examined Dranzer after the battle, and its attack was just as low as ever. No changes." Ray sighed, wishing he could help Kai in some way. His eyes lit up at a sudden idea; it was crazy, but how did the saying go? "Just crazy enough to work."

"What?" Kai turned, wondering what Ray was up to.

"Let's battle!" Kai blinked. "Kai, if we can recreate the circumstances of the battle this afternoon, maybe the same thing will happen!" Kai smirked, understanding what Ray was getting at; if they could see what happened again, they could analyze it and see how it occurred and why. Maybe then Andrei's letter wouldn't sound so rational.

"Fine." Ray took his position across the dish.

"Ready?" Kai nodded.

"Don't go easy on me, Ray." Ray grinned, readying his blade. They started the countdown.

"3…2…1…Go!" They both released their blades. Sparks flew as the blades collided with the dish, and then one another, attack rings grinding mercilessly.

"C'mon…" Ray muttered through clenched teeth. "Hey, Kai, is that all you got? I thought you were better than this!" He taunted, remembering how the flames had come after Tyson's teasing. Kai knew what Ray was doing, but the words still stung his pride; he felt his temper begin to rise. He was a world champ, not some rookie! If Ray wanted to go all out, Kai was not willing to back down.

Smirking, he silently ordered his blade forwards, launching into an attack at full speed. Driger avoided the attack easily, and gave chase, the tiger gaining speed with each second due to Dranzer's lack of any endurance whatsoever. Kai growled in frustration. There must be something he could do! As he watched Driger get closer and closer to his blade, his temper got the better of him, and just when he was going to force his BitBeast to do something drastic, flames erupted from the ground, cocooning Kai in an inferno.

---

OK, so, as promised, here's another chapter! Updating will probably be random, with chapter lengths going from short to long.

_**Very Important**_ (for the welfare of the author's self-esteem and creative juices)

Please, tell me what you think of this. Any suggestions? Comments? Criticism? Good or bad, I would love you hear from you.


	6. Chapter 5: Strange Heat

Summary + Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Chapter 5: Strange Heat

"…Madame Defarge herself picked out the pattern on her sleeve with her toothpick, and saw and heard something inaudible and invisible a long way off. " (_Tale of Two Cities_, C. Dickens)

---

Kai watched, eyes wide and fearful, as the flames surrounding his body disappeared abruptly, leaving him feeling as if he had a high fever, but wide awake instead of the usual sluggishness of being sick. Just as he was getting over the idea that fire had come from out of nowhere and had just as mysteriously disappeared, a stab of pain made him see a flash of white. When he realized he had fallen to his knees, clutching his head, his pride compelled him to get, however shakily, to his feet and not fall as his body so wanted to. In the end, his body won, and he ended up collapsing, his cheek resting against the comforting coolness of the shattered concrete.

---

"Ray, Kai's OK, the doctor's said the fever got to him, he's dehydrated, and that's what made him faint. Once they give him some medicine and fluids, he'll be fine." Max and Tyson said, trying to calm the pacing Blader. Ray shot them dark, furious looks, and they quickly backed away. Kenny was working away on Dizzie, trying to be as inconspicuous as he could; even his BitBeast was quiet, not wanting to attract Ray's attention.

Two days had passed since their midnight battle. Those two days had been pure hell for Ray and the rest of the team. Kai was the leader, the captain, but he was also more than that; he was a friend. Sure, a stuck-up, cold-hearted, unemotional jerk with commitment problems most of the time; but underneath it all, he was a semi-nice person who had just seen enough of the darker part of the world to be cautious in whom he trusted.

Ray stalked away in frustration, hating his inability to help his friend. In the bathroom, he washed his face, trying to scrub away his tiredness. A glance in the mirror told him that a bit of water would not suffice in erasing the dark rings under his eyes, or the fact that his hair was a mess after the many time he had run his hands through it, or that his eyes were bloodshot. Ray sighed, and dried himself, deciding to try, for the others' sake, not to let his frustration show.

He was a natural worrier; not over himself, but over other people. When his friends were sick or injured, he at once assumed the role of both nurse and doctor. When he was hurt or ill, however, he would take a few aspirin and struggle through it. With Kai, his worry increased a lot more than with Tyson or Max: Tyson because he would probably take the, "feed a cold, starve a fever," or whatever the saying was, seriously and eat himself silly; Max because the blonde would go along with any medicine Ray gave him and actually follow Ray's orders.

But Kai, Ray knew, seemed to think it was impossible to die from exhaustion, pushing himself until his body shut down. He didn't take good care of himself for some reason, making his chances of getting seriously sick much greater than his teammates put together. Take this fever; Kai had probably known he was sick, but didn't slow down and start trying to ease the stress on his body. Oh, no, training was more important than his own health, and Kai had paid the price for it.

Ray's calmness didn't last long.

As soon as Kai's fever spiked, and the nurses got worried expressions on their faces, Ray freaked out, and had to take a walk to keep himself from screaming at the doctors to _do __**some**__thing_ other than just stand there looking useless. After that, Kai's fever finally creeped downwards, and he was sent home, under orders to drink lots of fluids, keep a blanket and oral thermometer nearby, and actually take the two medications the doctor had prescribed.

Ray quickly saw that the stubborn Russian Blader would do what every other teenage boy would do in this situation: ignore whatever the doctor said and keep going as though nothing was wrong with him. So as soon as he set foot inside, Ray began to prepare a giant pot of the soup he had always eaten when he was sick back in the village. He then armed himself with blankets, several thermoses of soup, and enough patience, worry to make mothers everywhere impressed; he would take care of Kai, and make sure he was OK, if it killed him. When he was satisfied he had enough ammo, he sought Kai out. Kai was stretched out on his bed, one arm behind his head, the other across his stomach. Kai didn't even open his eyes; he knew who it was.

"Kai."

"Hn." He grunted, not even in the mood for Ray, which was surprising because Ray was probably the only member of his team that he could tolerate for extended periods of time. But with a pounding headache and not a lot of sleep (damn fever made it impossible for him to decide whether he needed more blankets or none at all; as soon as he pulled another layer over him, his body discovered it wasn't cold, but hot instead), Kai wasn't in the mood of anything or anyone. All he wanted was to sleep, and if he had to kill someone to do so, he would start looking for Tyson and do the world a favor.

Ray grimaced – he was not going to enjoy this. But it had to be done, otherwise, he would risk seeing Kai in the hospital again, and that was something he would not risk, more for Kai's health and his own sanity than anything.

"Do you want anything to eat?" At this, Kai did open his eye, crimson orbs already glaring and hard as rubies.

"No." He said forcefully, gaze then shifting to the three thermoses Ray held. One was already open, and from it, he could smell the most delicious thing he had ever smelt. But he had good reason to refuse food. While he was hungry, the last dosage of whatever the doctor had given him before he was released from hospital had left him fighting nausea, and Kai was not going to allow _any_one to see him throw up, no matter how much he tolerated them. His stomach, on the other hand, begged to differ, growling softly, enough that Ray heard it.

Ray resisted grinning; Kai did not appreciate being laughed at, and he had made progress. Once Kai knew that he couldn't pretend not to be hungry anymore, he would _have_ to give in and eat.

"Are you sure?" Kai was silent. Crap, now he had to eat. Maybe Ray would leave him alone if he did what the neko-jin said. With a sigh, he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and sat up.

"Fine." He said, still glaring. This time, Ray did grin. Kai ate as quickly as he could, not caring that the soup was still super-hot, seeing as Ray had only finished making it a short time ago. As soon as he was done, Kai found a hand thrust under his nose. His eyes locked onto the pills that moved slightly in Ray's palm, and he felt his heartbeat quicken. All his experiences with pills were closely tied to memories of strange pains all over his body and a burning sensation on his shoulder blades.

"Kai, the doctor said you need to take these, to keep your fever down and keep you from coughing." Ray waited; Kai didn't move, as though, if he stayed still long enough, Ray would forget about him. It usually worked; people would see him leaning against a wall, and then forget he existed as they became distracted with others nearby. But Kai and Ray were alone in the room, so Kai didn't think it would work this time. Faint tremors running through his arm, he took the pills and tossed them down his throat, taking the water Ray offered.

---

A few weeks later, just in time for December to get into full swing, complete with a blizzard, Kai was back to normal, his odd bought of illness gone. Kai was relieved that he was no longer sick; the constant aches, the constant headache and heaviness of his body were getting on his nerves. Well, that and the _constant_ mothering of a worried Neko-jin who, it seemed, couldn't _physically_ leave his side until Kai was better.

Kai was feeling unusually peaceful and strangely wide-awake one night, and went out onto the roof to think, as he always did when he couldn't sleep. Despite the freezing temperatures, he felt fine. It was comfortable on the roof, but something in the back of his mind was still bothering him. Giving up all hope of trying to sort through his thoughts while gazing up at the diamond-dusted heavens, Kai decided he might as well get some use out of the night and began trying to train.

Key word: 'trying'.

It was the same story as last time; the moment he launched his blade, an odd pain in his chest made him fall to one knee. Dranzer, wobbling violently, spun nearby in the center of the dish, looking ready to stop spinning at any moment. When he recalled the BeyBlade, the pain disappeared at once. It was weird, and unsettling. If Kai couldn't blade, then he was useless to Voltaire, and Voltaire 'dismissed' worthless people in a very violent yet casual manner, usually ending in that person's death.

--------

What do you think? I'll try to get another chapter in before Christmas, but I kind of want to write something happy for the holidays, and this story doesn't really offer a lot of that as of now. I may end up writing a Christmas chapter that is totally unrelated to Recalled to Life, or maybe not. I don't know.

Tell me what you think. I've been sick for the past four weeks, so I guess that's what made me end up making Kai get sick. Well, that, and it fits in with the scheme of things. The whole thing about Ray freaking out when Kai's in hospital is based off of my personal reaction when a friend is sick or hurt; I worry almost non-stop, and if I know that they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing to get better, I constantly pester them until they do what I say.

--_Read and __**review**_--. If I don't think people like it, I may give up writing more. Comments, are, as always, greatly appreciated and read carefully.


	7. Chapter 6: Cold Moon

Summary + Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Chapter 6: Cold Moon 

"In the moonlight which is always said, as the light of the sun itself is – as the light called human life is – as its coming and its going." (_Tale of Two Cities_, C. Dickens)

---

If there was one thing Kai hated, it was the cold. More specifically, being outside in the cold not properly dressed. Yet there he lay, on the freezing shingles of the roof, dressed as he normally was, with his scarf being the only winter clothing on him, staring up at the crescent moon though half-closed eyes. Strange, hm? He was called many things having to do with frigid temperatures. An icy bastard, for example, or a cold-hearted captain…

But the fact remained that he just did not like the cold. It reminded him of, first and foremost, his grandfather, then Boris and the Abbey, as the two were interchangeable when describing pure evil, his missing childhood, and, finally, of the Demolition Boys, of Bryan, Ian, Spencer and Tala.

Kai's only warning was the sudden drop in temperature. For one short moment, he stared into Tala's eyes, ice-blue and streaked with the moon's light. Then, he was staring up at the ruins of the roof, everything else blocked out by Tala's face.

"Tala…" He managed; Tala, who had always been very thin and wiry, was oddly heavy. Kai strained his neck, looking around for the other Demolition Boys; it was hard to do, seeing as Tala had pinned his wrists above his head, and was currently sitting on his stomach. But there was no one in the room but Tala and himself.

It was then he saw them.

Tala's wings, the veritable mountains of semi-transparent bluish crystal that protruded largely from the redhead's back. Kai saw the blood running from Tala's back, felt it drip onto his own clothing, but his mind would not accept it. His mind balked when he saw the familiar armor that glittered on Tala's head, wrists and ankles. When he saw the thick metal collar around Tala's neck, however, he understood what was going on: the one pinning him down wasn't Tala, but BioVolt. Who else would make collars to enslave a human being and make him follow their every order?

Tala, under BioVolt's full control, reached into his pocket, withdrawing a collar much like the one around his own neck, and grinning sickly.

"Little Kai, it's time for you to come with me." Tala said, and moved to place the collar around Kai's neck.

"Like hell I will." Kai growled; acting on pure instinct and a touch of claustrophobia, he managed to flip Tala onto his side and leap up onto the roof. Slipping on patches of ice, Kai ran towards the other end of the house. Tala was forced to chase after him, the collar on his neck burning to create a sense of urgency and the necessity to go after his prey. Luckily for Kai, Tala's wings, which had helped keep Kai from moving, now weighed the tall Blader down, causing him to tip and veer with every step as he fought to keep his balance.

Tala finally took to the sky, moving awkwardly, the grimaces crossing his face expressing the pain each movement of his wings caused him. But he could not stop. Kai had managed to jump from the roof to the ground. One of his ankles painfully protesting, he limped as quickly as he could towards the back door. He had never been a religious person, Boris had seen to that, but that night, he prayed the door was open, knowing that if it wasn't, there would be a funeral to plan. The Abbey was never good with escapees, AKA, _**traitors**_.

Kai never got there.

Tala, seeing where he was headed, rocketed towards the other Russian, ramming into him and sending them both crashing into the snow. Kai was the first to recover, and he struggled to his feet. Before he go any more than a few steps, shards of ice rained down on him, lodging deep into his body. Pain stopping him, Kai was only able to watch as Tala, now also limping heavily, came closer, exhaustion his only expression. Tala reached into his pocket once more, and opened the collar's latch. A few more steps, and Kai would once again be under his grandfather's control.

The thought scared Kai into action, and something inside of him gave an abrupt wrench, and he was suddenly not looking at a collar of cruel metal, but at an inferno of gold, and orange, and red flames, gold lightning dancing in amongst the tongues of fire that eagerly sought to devour Tala's body with their heat. Repulsed by the fire, Tala leapt once more into the sky, struggling to stay airborne. When the redhead crashed to the ground, Kai didn't approach the still body of his long-ago companion. He wasted no time in hurrying to the door and trying the doorknob; it wouldn't turn.

The mental stream of colorful language running through his mind, Kai set off for the front door, to which he actually had a key. Why the back and the front door had different keys, he would never understand; Mr. Dickinson had said something about 'security reasons.' Well, that hadn't stopped a mutated Russian Blader from crashing through the roof, did it? Kai heisted for a moment, thinking he had heard something. As he waited, he heard it a gain: a slight moan, like someone was in pain. _Tala_. Kai risked a look over his shoulder, and saw Tala, without wings or armor, sitting up, holding his head and groaning. Tala looked up, his eyes meeting Kai's, and grinned a little, revealing still-sharp teeth.

"Guess we showed them, huh, Kai?" He gave an odd little laugh, cut off at the end by a bought of harsh, barking coughs. Pulling his hand away from his mouth, Tala stared at his palm; even from where Kai was standing, he could see the blood. But Tala didn't seem the least bit disturbed by the sight of his own blood, looking up at the sky and smiling, despite the red trickling from the corners of his lips. "We sure showed them…" He murmured, falling onto his wingless back, exhaustion claiming him as its own.

Kai, still cautious and still recovering from the shock of seeing Tala looking more like Wolborg than his usual self, waited for a while before approaching, forbidden worry creeping past his reeling mind. Once he was sure that even with his BitBeast's immense strength, Tala was in no condition to move, let alone fight. His clothes were black instead of their usual white, better for covering up any bloodstains, Kai reasoned. His shirt was in ribbons thanks to his wings, clinging to his sweat-soaked skin and freezing onto his body the longer he laid in the snow. As he crouched down next to Tala, Kai saw something flash from underneath the redhead's long bangs. Brushing away the annoying strands of fiery hair, Kai froze, his emotions roaring in a mixture of horror and shocked rage.

There, dark and bright against Tala's pale skin, reflecting the moon's fading light, was the gem on Wolborg's armor 'crown,' above the BitBeast's predatory yellow eyes.

----

OK, so enough people told me to keep posting over Christmas, and I will, when I have Internet access. If you don't understand how it would be a problem, go back and read the update on my profile. Anyway, if the fight sucks, I'm sorry, this was my first one not involving swords/blades of any sorts.

Reviews, are, always read, even if you say you hate the story. Any suggestions for plot developments are also welcome; I have the big picture down, I just need a bit of help with the details.

**Important for the continuation of the story**

Does anyone know the time difference between Russia and America? Also, does Wolborg have crystals on his chest as well? I know he's got them on his feet, nose and back, but I can't find any pictures of his front. Please, tell me!!


End file.
